[Stigma in homelessness and health care: reflections from a Housing First program in Barcelona, Spain]. / Estigma en personas sin hogar y atención en salud: reflexiones desde un programa Housing First en Barcelona, España.

The experience of homelessness is associated with strong stigmatization processes, which are often reflected in the treatment received from professionals and the healthcare system itself. This article aims to analyze the experiences of participants in a program for homeless individuals in Barcelona called Primer la Llar within the healthcare system, and how the stigma they suffer affects the care processes. This program follows the Housing First model, a social intervention that proposes providing housing without preconditions to individuals with long histories of street living, who suffer from severe mental disorders and/or addictions. Based on individual interviews with 20 participants conducted between 2016 and 2020, it is observed that in certain cases, entering the program, having housing availability, support from professionals, and the development of their own strategies had positive effects on improving their health, although they continue to perceive discriminatory attitudes in some medical settings. It is suggested that the transformation regarding stigmatization be understood broadly, affecting individuals, institutions, and society as a whole.

El tránsito por el sinhogarismo está asociado a procesos de fuerte estigmatización que, en muchas ocasiones, tienen su reflejo en el trato que reciben por parte de las y los profesionales y del propio sistema de atención en salud. Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar las experiencias que tuvieron en el sistema sanitario las y los participantes de un programa para personas sin hogar en Barcelona llamado Primer la Llar, y cómo el estigma que sufren estas personas llega a condicionar los procesos de atención. Dicho programa sigue el modelo Housing First, una intervención social que propone la entrada a una vivienda sin condiciones previas a personas con largas trayectorias de vida en la calle, que sufren trastornos mentales graves y/o adicciones. A partir de entrevistas individuales con 20 participantes, realizadas entre 2016 y 2020, se observa que, en determinados casos, el ingreso en el programa, la disponibilidad de una vivienda, el soporte de profesionales y el desarrollo de estrategias propias tuvieron efectos positivos en la mejora de su salud, aunque continúan percibiendo actitudes discriminatorias en algunos espacios médicos. Se plantea la necesidad de que la transformación respecto a la estigmatización sea entendida en un sentido amplio, en las personas, en las instituciones y en la sociedad.

Trust and distrust in food among non-dependent elderly people in Spain. Study on socio-cultural representations through the analysis of cultural domains.

The social and cultural representations of food are essential when it comes to understanding the perception of risk and the trust/distrust that people place on it. In this paper, we analyse the attributes and categories that non-dependent older people aged 65 and over living in Spain use when talking about trust/distrust in relation to food. In order to explore how they manifest different social meanings, we have conducted a study based on an analysis of cultural domains. The results of examining free-listing and pile-sort techniques were triangulated with the narratives obtained from interviews, life histories, food diaries and participatory workshops. The ethnographic research was conducted between June 2021 and June 2022 in the autonomous communities of Andalusia and Catalonia as well as the Valencian Community. Understanding the criteria for trust and distrust through the analysis of cultural domains allows us to better comprehend what food risks are perceived by older people and what value they place on food safety in their food choices. This study aims to provide qualified input for the development of healthier eating habits with recommendations for making ageing an easier process.

Categorizations of Trust and Distrust in the Classifications and Social Representations of Food among Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women in Spain-Applying the Cultural Domains' Pile Sort Technique.

Food is fundamental in the decision making of pregnant and breastfeeding women to care for their own health and that of their child. In this paper, we explore some common food classification systems and certain attributes assigned to these categories, represented by values of trust and distrust. This study is based on an interdisciplinary research project in which we analysed discourses and practices regarding the dietary intake of pregnant and breastfeeding women in relation to the presence of chemical substances in foods. The results presented are part of the second phase of this research where we explored the results of our analysis of the pile sort technique based on an analysis of cultural domains in order to explore the categories and semantic relations among terms regarding trust and distrust in food. This technique was applied to the 62 pregnant and breastfeeding women of Catalonia and Andalusia. These women also participated in eight focus groups that provided information and narratives enabling us to analyse the meanings of the associative subdomains obtained in the pile sorts. They classified different foods and assigned certain attributes to them according to the level of trust and mistrust, providing a social representation of food risks. The mothers expressed great concern about the quality of the food they consume and about its possible effects on their own health and on that of their child. They perceive that an adequate diet is one based on the consumption of fruits and vegetables, preferably fresh. Fish and meat generate serious concern, as their properties are considered ambivalent depending on the food's origin and mode of production. These criteria are perceived by women as relevant to their food decisions and, therefore, emic knowledge should be taken into account when developing food safety programmes and planning actions aimed at pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Reinvigoration/Rejuvenation Induced through Micrografting of Tree Species: Signaling through Graft Union.

Trees have a distinctive and generally long juvenile period during which vegetative growth rate is rapid and floral organs do not differentiate. Among trees, the juvenile period can range from 1 year to 15-20 years, although with some forest tree species, it can be longer. Vegetative propagation of trees is usually much easier during the juvenile phase than with mature phase materials. Therefore, reversal of maturity is often necessary in order to obtain materials in which rooting ability has been restored. Micrografting has been developed for trees to address reinvigoration/rejuvenation of elite selections to facilitate vegetative propagation. Generally, shoots obtained after serial grafting have increased rooting competence and develop juvenile traits; in some cases, graft-derived shoots show enhanced in vitro proliferation. Recent advances in graft signaling have shown that several factors, e.g., plant hormones, proteins, and different types of RNA, could be responsible for changes in the scion. The focus of this review includes (1) a discussion of the differences between the juvenile and mature growth phases in trees, (2) successful restoration of juvenile traits through micrografting, and (3) the nature of the different signals passing through the graft union.

Effect of LED Lighting on Physical Environment and Microenvironment on In Vitro Plant Growth and Morphogenesis: The Need to Standardize Lighting Conditions and Their Description.

In the last decades, lighting installations in plant tissue culture have generally been renewed or designed based on LED technology. Thanks to this, many different light quality advances are available but, with their massive implementation, the same issue is occurring as in the 1960s with the appearance of the Grolux (Sylvania) fluorescent tubes: there is a lack of a methodological standardization of lighting. This review analyzes the main parameters and variables that must be taken into account in the design of LED-based systems, and how these need to be described and quantified in order to homogenize and standardize the experimental conditions to obtain reproducible and comparable results and conclusions. We have designed an experimental system in which the values of the physical environment and microenvironment conditions and the behavior of plant tissue cultures maintained in cabins illuminated with two lighting designs can be compared. Grolux tubes are compared with a combination of monochromatic LED lamps calibrated to provide a spectral emission, and light irradiance values similar to those generated by the previous discharge lamps, achieving in both cases wide uniformity of radiation conditions on the shelves of the culture cabins. This study can help to understand whether it is possible to use LEDs as one standard lighting source in plant tissue culture without affecting the development of the cultures maintained with the previously regulated protocols in the different laboratories. Finally, the results presented from this caparison indicate how temperature is one of the main factors that is affected by the chosen light source.

Body Representations of Internal Pollution: The Risk Perception of the Circulation of Environmental Contaminants in Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women in Spain.

In this article, we analyze how pregnant and breastfeeding women perceive the inside of their bodies as well as their thoughts regarding the accumulation and elimination of chemical compounds present in food, and how these are then transmitted to the fetus. We explore different social perceptions of risk regarding the circulation of chemical compounds inside the body using qualitative research based on the technique of body mapping, comprised of women's drawings of their bodies in combination with comments on the drawings, food diaries and narratives from in-depth interviews. We examine how these 41 women (21 pregnant and 20 breastfeeding) perceive the body's internal mechanisms during the stages of pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as the circulation of chemical contaminants within it. The body mapping technique allowed us to analyze participants' knowledge of internal pollution, a little-understood process in society. Thanks to these pregnant and breastfeeding women, who made an effort to represent and reflect on these new risks, this study shows that scientists and obstetricians need to collaborate with women in order to better understand and publicize the risks of internal pollution.

Perceptions and Attitudes of Gynecologic and Pediatric Professionals Regarding Dietary Exposure to Chemical Pollutants.

There is increasing concern regarding the potential implications of continuous dietary exposure to low doses of artificial chemical pollutants, particularly in critical life stages such as pregnancy and lactation. Within a wider social research, we analyzed the risk perception, discourses, and attitudes of health professionals regarding dietary exposure to artificial chemical contaminants. Data was collected by personal interviews on 35 health professionals from two Spanish regions. Although the participants' discourses were strongly dominated by the nutritional composition and microbiological contamination, 34 expressed some concern regarding metals, and 23 regarding pesticides. Although only one participant mentioned a plasticizer (i.e., bisphenol A), we noted an underlying concern, since six professionals admitted to recommending pregnant women to somewhat avoid plastic food containers, and were aware of mother-to-child transmission and accumulation of artificial chemicals. The ubiquity of the exposure, the inability to locate the threat, and contradictory messages can all create a sense of helplessness and subsequent cognitive adjustments. Our participants also reported a lack of information, particularly on emerging pollutants. In conclusion, we found a range of valuable discourses that can aid in orienting public health strategies aimed at health professionals who have a substantial influence on their patients.

Adverse effects of hexaclorobenzene exposure in children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Hexachlorobenzene (HCB: C6Cl6) is a persistent, bioaccumulative chemical formerly used worldwide in pesticide mixtures but also produced as a by-product in the chemical and metallurgical industry. Despite current international restrictions in the use and production of HCB, the majority of the general population still show detectable levels of HCB, which raises concerns on the potential health implications of the exposure. OBJECTIVE: To compile and synthesize the available scientific evidence regarding the adverse effects of exposure to HCB in children and adolescents. METHODS: A review of the literature focused on the adverse effects of HCB exposure in children. Eligible studies were systematically screened from searches in Medline, Scopus and Ebsco-host databases. A total of 62 studies were finally included. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In our search we found evidences of potential health effects linked to HCB exposure at different levels (e.g. neurotoxic, nephrotoxic, immunotoxic, hepatotoxic and toxicogenomic), although the conclusions are still contradictory. Further prospective research is needed, considering the special vulnerability of children and adolescent population as well as the ubiquity of the exposure.

Trust and distrust in relation to food risks in Spain: An approach to the socio-cultural representations of pregnant and breastfeeding women through the technique of free listing.

In this paper, we explore the socio-cultural representations of trust and distrust in relation to food risks among pregnant and breastfeeding women. We have conducted a study based on an analysis of cultural domains in order to understand how mothers incorporate different social meanings and explore the most important categories they use when talking about trust/distrust in relation to food. We use the technique of free listings to analyse the main shared items or elements regarding trust and distrust in food among these mothers. Through an analysis of cultural domains that refers to concepts and themes related to trust and distrust of foods that are important to these women, and through the study of shared knowledge about these domains, we examine their socio-cultural representations related to health and diet of the 65 free listings on trust and the 64 on distrust collected from mothers. The pregnant and breastfeeding women who participated in the free listings cite foods they trust or distrust based on the specific properties they perceive them to have or other characteristics related to their origin, their handling, processing and distribution. Additionally, trust/distrust often depends on the qualities they attribute to the product. This paper shows aspects of the socio-cultural representations of food risks in periods in the life cycle of women -pregnancy and breastfeeding-characterized by a risk discourse where the precautionary principle is frequently used to manage uncertainty. These results might help the development of public health campaigns as well as adapting the messages of the health authorities to the general population.

Sponge grounds of Artemisina (Porifera, Demospongiae) in the Iberian Peninsula, ecological characterization by ROV techniques.

Artemisina Vosmaer, 1885 is a poecilosclerid microcionoid sponge genus with 20 valid species, seven of which have been recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.The present study describes Artemisina sponge grounds in Iberia Peninsula. A. transiens is a sponge described in 1890 by Topsent in Galicia (Spain); A. hispanica was also collected in the north of Spain by Ferrer-Hernández (1917); World Porifera Database (WPD) considers at the moment both mushroom-shaped species as synonyms (van Soest et al., 2018), but we have only been able to check the types of A. hispanica. The studied samples were collected in Somos Llungo station and they correspond clearly to those described as A. hispanica by Ferrer-Hernández (1917) and it presents differences in the skeleton with respet to description of A. transiens in the literture. There are no more records after 1917 and there are no data of ecological characterisation nor is there a detailed description of its skeletal composition with Scanning Electron Microscopy. In the previous records the formation of sponge grounds of these species was not known.                                                                                                                          Oceana, the largest international organization focused solely on protecting the world's oceans, has recorded the habitat of Artemisina in Atlantic and Cantabrian waters during a series of ROV cruises for the identification of marine areas with high ecological value that need protection. Its life conditions and associated fauna are described from direct observations for the first time.

Citizens' perceptions of the presence and health risks of synthetic chemicals in food: results of an online survey in Spain / Percepciones de la ciudadanía sobre la presencia y los riesgos para la salud de compuestos químicos sintéticos en los alimentos: resultados de un estudio en línea en España

Objective: To explore factors influencing perceptions and viewpoints on the responsibility for the presence of toxic substances in food, on enforcement of laws and regulations that control human exposure to toxic substances in food, and on the effectiveness of such regulations. Methods: An online survey was completed by 740 individuals from several parts of Spain (median age, 47 years; 67% were women; 70% had completed university studies). Results: Over 87% of respondents said that it was possible that throughout their lives they could have accumulated in their body toxic substances potentially dangerous to their health. The attribution of the responsibility for toxic substances in food to a larger number of social groups was more frequent among respondents who consulted information about the problem more often (odds ratio [OR]: 1.92), who correctly identified factors that increase the likelihood of toxic substances in food being harmful to human health (OR: 2.86), who better knew the health problems that may be caused by such substances (OR: 2.48), and who recognised more food groups that tend to have concentrations of toxic substances potentially harmful to health (OR: 2.92) (all p values <0.001). Women were 65% less likely than men to answer that regulations on toxic substances in food are effective (p<0.001); and so were participants who identified more food groups with potentially toxic concentrations. Conclusions: Among study participants there was a widespread scepticism and distrust towards the enforcement and effectiveness of laws and regulations that in Spain aim to control human exposure to toxic substances in food (AU)

Objetivo: Explorar factores que influyen en las percepciones y puntos de vista de los ciudadanos sobre la responsabilidad de la presencia de sustancias tóxicas en los alimentos, sobre la aplicación de las leyes que en España controlan la exposición humana a dichas sustancias y sobre la efectividad de tales leyes. Método: 740 personas de varias partes de España (mediana de edad, 47 años; 67% mujeres; 70% con estudios universitarios) completaron una encuesta en línea. Resultados: Más del 87% de las personas encuestadas consideraron que era posible que a lo largo de su vida hubiesen acumulado en su cuerpo sustancias tóxicas potencialmente peligrosas para su salud. Atribuir la responsabilidad sobre la presencia de sustancias tóxicas en los alimentos a un mayor número de grupos sociales fue más frecuente entre quienes declararon consultar con más frecuencia información sobre el problema (odds ratio [OR]: 1,92), quienes identificaron correctamente factores que aumentan la probabilidad de que las sustancias tóxicas en los alimentos sean perjudiciales para la salud humana (OR: 2,86), quienes conocían mejor los problemas de salud que pueden ser causados por dichas sustancias (OR: 2,48) y quienes señalaron más grupos de alimentos que tienden a tener concentraciones de tóxicos que pueden ser perjudiciales para la salud (OR: 2,92) (todos los valores de p <0,001). Las mujeres fueron un 65% menos propensas que los hombres a responder que las regulaciones legales sobre sustancias tóxicas en los alimentos son efectivas (p <0,001), y también lo fueron las personas que identificaron más grupos de alimentos con concentraciones potencialmente tóxicas. Conclusiones: Entre los/las participantes en el estudio hubo un amplio escepticismo y desconfianza respecto a la aplicación y la efectividad de la legislación que en España aspira a controlar la exposición humana a sustancias tóxicas en los alimentos (AU)

[Toxic bodies: perceived risk of internal contamination by chemical compounds in Spain]. / Cuerpos tóxicos: la percepción del riesgo de la contaminación interna por compuestos químicos en España.

This article analyses the social perception of human exposure to chemical compounds and discourses and practices regarding bodily boundaries when faced with internal contamination. Based on qualitative and interdisciplinary research carried out in Catalonia, the social meanings attributed to the environmental and food dangers and risks related to chemical compounds that affect human health, and the place that the body takes in the production of these discourses, were explored. In order to do so, between June and November 2011, 43 semi-structured interviews with workers with some awareness of chemical contaminants were carried out, emphasizing how these people (re)interpret the different existing discourses about internal contamination as well as their perceptions regarding the introduction of chemical compounds into the body and the dangers that these substances pose to health.

Citizens' perceptions of the presence and health risks of synthetic chemicals in food: results of an online survey in Spain.

OBJECTIVE: To explore factors influencing perceptions and viewpoints on the responsibility for the presence of toxic substances in food, on enforcement of laws and regulations that control human exposure to toxic substances in food, and on the effectiveness of such regulations. METHODS: An online survey was completed by 740 individuals from several parts of Spain (median age, 47 years; 67% were women; 70% had completed university studies). RESULTS: Over 87% of respondents said that it was possible that throughout their lives they could have accumulated in their body toxic substances potentially dangerous to their health. The attribution of the responsibility for toxic substances in food to a larger number of social groups was more frequent among respondents who consulted information about the problem more often (odds ratio [OR]: 1.92), who correctly identified factors that increase the likelihood of toxic substances in food being harmful to human health (OR: 2.86), who better knew the health problems that may be caused by such substances (OR: 2.48), and who recognised more food groups that tend to have concentrations of toxic substances potentially harmful to health (OR: 2.92) (all p values <0.001). Women were 65% less likely than men to answer that regulations on toxic substances in food are effective (p<0.001); and so were participants who identified more food groups with potentially toxic concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Among study participants there was a widespread scepticism and distrust towards the enforcement and effectiveness of laws and regulations that in Spain aim to control human exposure to toxic substances in food.

Cuerpos tóxicos: la percepción del riesgo de la contaminación interna por compuestos químicos en España / Toxic bodies: perceived risk of internal contamination by chemical compounds in Spain

RESUMEN Este artículo analiza la percepción social de la exposición humana a los compuestos químicos, y los discursos y las prácticas sobre las fronteras corporales ante la contaminación interna. A partir de una investigación cualitativa e interdisciplinar en Cataluña, se exploran los significados sociales que se atribuyen a los peligros y riesgos ambientales y alimentarios de los compuestos químicos que afectan a la salud humana y el lugar que el cuerpo ocupa en la producción de estos discursos. Entre junio y noviembre de 2011 se realizaron 43 entrevistas semiestructuradas a trabajadores con alguna conciencia sobre contaminantes químicos, en las que se profundizó cómo estas personas (re)interpretan los diferentes discursos existentes sobre la contaminación interna, sus percepciones sobre la introducción de compuestos químicos en el cuerpo y los peligros que estas sustancias representan para la salud.

ABSTRACT This article analyses the social perception of human exposure to chemical compounds and discourses and practices regarding bodily boundaries when faced with internal contamination. Based on qualitative and interdisciplinary research carried out in Catalonia, the social meanings attributed to the environmental and food dangers and risks related to chemical compounds that affect human health, and the place that the body takes in the production of these discourses, were explored. In order to do so, between June and November 2011, 43 semi-structured interviews with workers with some awareness of chemical contaminants were carried out, emphasizing how these people (re)interpret the different existing discourses about internal contamination as well as their perceptions regarding the introduction of chemical compounds into the body and the dangers that these substances pose to health.

Discourses on the Toxic Effects of Internal Chemical Contamination in Catalonia, Spain.

Human exposure to and contamination by environmental toxic compounds generates discourses and practices that merit greater attention. In this article, we assess internal chemical contamination and the risk of toxic effects as an experience related to the production of meaning in everyday life. Drawing on the analysis of semantic networks of narratives from semi-structured interviews conducted with 43 informants in Catalonia, Spain, we consider participants' perceptions of the health risks of toxic compounds, including social discourses on exposure, toxicity, and internal chemical contamination, and on responsibilities, consequences, and proposed strategies for controlling toxic compounds. Informants' narratives on the relationships between nature and nurture suggest that they no longer perceive rigid boundaries separating the human body from the external environment and its chemical pollutants.

The child's body without fluid: mother's knowledge and practices about hydration and rehydration in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this article was to anthropologically analyse knowledge and practices about hydration and rehydration in a specific ethnographic context, where diverse therapies are combined to treat and take care of child diarrhoea as part of a wider social process that circumscribes transactions between self-care and biomedicine. METHODS: Ethnographic data from a qualitative study in the neighbourhood of Nova Constituinte (Salvador, Bahia) which was part of an interdisciplinary project aimed at epidemiologically evaluating an environmental sanitation programme. These data results from a series of in-depth interviews of 29 interviewees and field observations collected over two stages (1997/1998-2003/2004). RESULTS: Knowledge about hydration and rehydration is practical knowledge that demonstrates some of the cultural limits of dehydration in terms of the normality or pathology criteria related to child diarrhoea. This knowledge belongs to local interpretations, treatment experiences and the care that mothers provide in relation to their child's diarrhoea. We observed a process of medicalisation in the discourse about hydration and self-care. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike rehydration, hydration is structural to self-care processes. While the former constitutes a way of alleviating diarrhoea, the latter is a type of care centred on healing. The difference between these practices does not lie in the type of remedies used but in the meaning attributed to them and the way they are combined.

Hemoglobin A1c versus oral glucose tolerance test in postpartum diabetes screening.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the usefulness of measuring hemoglobin A(1c) (A1C), alone or combined with the fasting glucose test, compared with the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for the reassessment of the carbohydrate metabolism status in postpartum women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We evaluated the status of carbohydrate metabolism by performing the OGTT and fasting glucose and A1C tests in 231 postpartum women with prior GDM 1 year after delivery. RESULTS: The prevalence of abnormal carbohydrate metabolism was 45.89% by the OGTT criterion, 19.05% by the A1C test criterion, 38.10% by the fasting glucose test criterion, and 46.75% by the A1C-fasting glucose test criteria. Using the OGTT as the gold standard, abnormal carbohydrate metabolism according to the A1C test criterion had 22.64% sensitivity and 54.55% positive predictive value; abnormal carbohydrate metabolism by the fasting glucose criterion had 83.02% sensitivity and 100% positive predictive value. The A1C-fasting glucose test criteria classified 18 women with normal carbohydrate metabolism as having abnormal carbohydrate metabolism. Abnormal carbohydrate metabolism by the A1C-fasting glucose test criteria had 83.02% sensitivity and 81.48% positive predictive value. CONCLUSIONS: Our results seem to indicate that the A1C test criterion alone or in combination with fasting glucose test criterion does not provide a sensitive and specific diagnosis of abnormal carbohydrate metabolism in women who have had GDM.

Atypical intermediate-grade mediastinal carcinoid. Case presentation.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 25% of carcinoid tumors develop in the respiratory system. Neuroendocrine carcinoids represent ~5% of all mediastinal tumors and 1-5% of all intrathoracic neoplasms. They contain numerous neurosecretory granules that synthesize, store and release neurohumoral substances that can induce the carcinoid syndrome. CLINICAL CASE: A 21-year-old male presented with a rapidly progressive paraneoplastic syndrome unleashed by an acute urethritis. Two left mediastinal masses were identified and resected. Postoperative evolution has been uneventful during the first year. CONCLUSIONS: We emphasize the importance of early detection of primary and satellite lesions of these tumors including neurohumoral markers and PET/CT scans as in this case, as well as the participation of a multidisciplinary team.

Leiomiosarcoma primario pulmonar. Informe de un caso y revisión de la literatura / Primary pulmonary leiomyosarcoma: a case report and review of the literature

Introducción. El leiomiosarcoma es uno de los sarcomas de partes blandas más frecuentes en retroperitoneo y en extremidades inferiores, sin embargo, su localización en pulmón es excepcional, lo que obliga necesariamente a descartar que se trate de una metástasis. Material y métodos. Comunicamos un caso de leiomiosarcoma primario pulmonar, haciendo hincapié en sus características clinicopatológicas e inmunofenotípicas, y su adecuada respuesta a la quimioterapia. Conclusiones. Es importante tener en cuenta el origen primario de esta neoplasia en el pulmón. El estudio histológico e inmunohistoquímico puede ser importante para clasificar esta neoplasia. Sin embargo, una búsqueda exhaustiva de un tumor primario en otros órganos es obligatoria(AU)

Introduction. Leiomyosarcoma is one of the most frequent soft tissue sarcomas of the retroperitoneum and lower limbs; however primary leiomyosarcoma of the lung is extremely rare and a thorough search should be made to exclude a misdiagnosis of a metastasis. Material and methods. A case of a primary leiomyosarcoma of the lung is reported. Clinicopathological features, immunohistochemistry and response to chemotherapy are discussed. Conclusions. In order to confirm a diagnosis of primary pulmonary leiomyosarcoma, careful histological examination and analysis of immunohistological markers are necessary. However, a thorough search for a possible primary tumour elsewhere is mandatory(AU)

In vitro analysis of the interaction of Pseudomonas savastanoi pvs. savastanoi and nerii with micropropagated olive plants.

This study assessed the use of in vitro olive plants to evaluate the virulence of Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi strains isolated from olive and P. savastanoi pv. nerii strains isolated from oleander knots. First, different olive isolates were inoculated into stem wounds and differences in knot formation and weight of overgrowths were observed for the selected strains. Tissue proliferation was clearly visible in all inoculated plants 30 days after inoculation. Virulence of P. savastanoi pv. nerii mutants with defects in regard to biosynthesis of indole-3-acetic acid and/or cytokinins was tested using this system. In agreement with data previously reported, all mutant strains multiplied in olive but induced attenuated symptoms. To analyze the virulence of P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi affected in their ability to grow in olive tissue, a trpE tryptophan auxotroph mutant was generated using a collection of signature tagged mutagenesis transposons. Virulence of this mutant was clearly reduced as evidenced by swelling of the olive tissue that evolved into attenuated knots. Furthermore, mixed infections with its parental strain revealed that the wild-type strain completely out-competed the trpE mutant. Results shown here demonstrate the usefulness of in vitro olive plants for the analysis of P. savastanoi pvs. savastanoi and nerii virulence. In addition, this system offers the possibility of quantifying virulence differences as weight of overgrowths. Moreover, we established the basis for the use of mixed infections in combination with signature tagged mutagenesis for high-throughput functional genomic analysis of this bacterial pathogen.